


Dear Ladybug,

by InkRanOut



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, minor ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-07 20:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14679123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkRanOut/pseuds/InkRanOut
Summary: A new akuma has taken over Paris, infecting citizens one after another and turning them into zombie-like creatures.Marinette now has to find a way to stop the akuma and save the city before the virus spreads on countries other than France.Meanwhile, she must take back her miraculous before Hawk Moth gets to it first, and the only way to do that is to team up and work together with none other than Chloé Bourgeois, the one who holds her most important secret.A lot of things are to change on the way of this journey. Meaningful feelings will be born. But will there be anything left to value by the end of it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning to work very hard on this fanfiction so I hope y'all enjoy it!~
> 
> There will most likely be girl x girl ships included (major or minor) but nothing explicit or extreme.
> 
>  
> 
> Well then, on to the first chapter! ;)

She just kept whining.  
"What if Adrien saw us _together_?! And why is Sabrina not here yet?! I wanna talk to daddy!"  
I gave her an annoyed look.  
"Adrien is not going to see us. You needn't worry about that, at least." I assured her.

  
Strangely enough, Chloé was still waiting for her friend, Sabrina, to come get her.  
She probably couldn't get the idea of people choosing not to risk their lives for her inside her head.  
We had just survived a zombie apocalypse-like akuma attack just an hour ago and ended up in a mall.  
Even if Sabrina was still alive and in control of her own actions, there's no way she would look for her.

  
The sun had set only a couple minutes ago but the mall had already turned dark enough for us to barely be able to see anything. I was using my phone as a flashlight, while Chloé had apparently dropped hers as we were running from the akuma's army of 'zombies' earlier.  
I would call her a real airhead if it wasn't for my far more careless action.  
I had lost Tikki...  
Well, not exactly 'lost' her. A zombie took away my earrings, forcing me to detransform.  
Apparently, it was more interested in getting my miraculous than attempting to infect me first, so I managed to escape the dangerous situation.  
But I only blamed my own carelessness for getting caught.  
At least, it would take a while for Hawk Moth to actually obtain my miraculous, as he couldn't control each and every single one of the zombies directly; just the person who had been akumatized.

  
As we walked around the mall, me first and Chloé following right behind me, and trying to be as quiet as possible -Chloé had finally finished with her monologue as well- I started thinking about where everyone else could be right now.  
Mama and papa, Alya, Adrien, Manon... were they safe?  
I had so many people I wanted to protect. What were the chances of all of them being safe, and not a single one having turned into a zombie?  
And... would the lucky charm be able to fix all of this? I never had to use it to bring back lost lives before. The zombies would probably turn normal again, but what about those who actually died instead of getting infected? What about them?  
Was I relying on false hope after all?

  
"Where are we going exactly?" Chloé broke the silence.  
"I don't know. Just keep walking."  
"This isn't very helpful at all! I'm not willing to follow you if you don't have a plan!"  
"Then leave. I won't stop you."  
"Wh-" the confidence in her voice had been replaced by obvious nervousness. "Whatever! I'm here only because if we ended up in a dangerous situation, I could use you as a decoy and run! Th- That's the only reason!"  
I shook my head. _She really has no shame._  
I could tell she was scared of being alone right now. I didn't really want us to get separated either. It would be smarter to stay together, at least until we find more people to form a larger group.  
That would be the smartest course of action right now.  
"The plan is to find more people and team up with them." I said after a while. "Is that good enough for you?"  
"...Hmph."  
_How did she even survive this long?_

  
A couple more minutes passed. The mall was big enough to spend all day looking around, but luckily it appeared to be completely empty so far. No zombies.  
...No humans either.  
Everyone had already evacuated by the time we came. We had entered using one of the highest windows, which we had reached from the terrace of a building next to the mall. I doubt any zombie could do that.  
And fortunately, the system wasn't working, so the doors wouldn't open for anyone.  
If someone managed to enter, it would be a human. That made things a lot easier.  
Still, just waiting wouldn't work. I had to get my earrings back. And I had to do it fast.  
We had shelter and enough supplies, but all of this wouldn't be of any use once Hawk Moth finally got my miraculous.

  
"Hey, Marineeette..."  
_What is it this time? Oh, don't tell me. Her hair got ruined, right?_  
"I'm tired. Let's stop here." she mumbled.  
I moved my phone around to have a quick look. We were standing outside of a mini market. I tried the door and it opened; the owner probably didn't have time to lock.  
"Okay, but not out here. Let's go inside."  
_It's good to be careful._  
 _There shouldn't be another way to get inside the mall besides the three main entrances, which won't open anymore, but I don't want to risk it._  
 _Ah, what if many zombies gathered and broke one of the doors or windows?_  
New worries filled my mind, one after another.  
"Well, duh. I didn't mean to stop outside either. We have to find a place with real beds, or else I can't have my beauty sleep. A real, actual bathroom would be necessary, too."  
"Chloé, do you even understand the situation we're in right now?" I did my best not to sound too irritated, but this time it was harder than usual.  
"Yes, I do! But how am I supposed to get a good night's sleep without a freakin' bed?!"  
"You are not supposed to get a good night's sleep! We are in a life-threatening situation! Not to mention our loved ones might be already dead! Why do I have to explain this to you?! Do you not have a sense of danger?!"  
A couple seconds passed. Receiving no answer from Chloé, I went into the mini market. She quietly followed me inside.

  
_Shoot... my phone battery is dying. I wonder if I could find a charger on this mall. There has to be this kind of store somewhere._  
 _And I'll pay for everything we use once all of this is over._  
The thought of everything going back to normal made me smile, even if it was just for an instant.  
I turned off my phone for now in order to spare some battery for later, and grabbed a pocket-flashlight from the mini market.

  
Inside, the store was smaller than I'd imagined. It would have been better to walk around the mall a bit more and look for a bigger place to stay at, but we were both exhausted. It would do for now.

  
I found some things we could use; packages of toilet paper and diapers to sleep on. It was starting to get cold, so I also grabbed some magazines and newspapers I found behind the counter. I didn't actually think they would keep us warm, but it was still better than nothing.  
Finally, I blocked the door with a metal stand that carried shelves with cookies, chocolates and a couple more sweet products.  
That made me feel kind of safe again. I had missed that sensation.

  
I invited Chloé to come lie down on one of my improvised mattresses, which she did.  
As we were lying down, just a couple inches away from each other, I turned and looked her in the eye.  
I think she flinched. It was just for an instant though, so it's hard to tell for sure.  
Chloé appears to be kind of weak when it comes to scoldings. I figured she probably can't handle them.  
Or just isn't used to getting scolded.  
Then again, perhaps I touched a sensitive subject back there...  
Nah, no way. Are there even sensitive subjects when it comes to Chloé?  
From the way she talks to anyone, I can tell there aren't.

  
"Hey, listen." I uttered as calmly as possible. Even though there was no reason to, I felt the need to show her I'm not mad so that we could have a proper conversation. "If we both want to survive this, which I assume we do, we have to work together and put up with each other for a while. Even if we find more people, it's still advisable to stay together and only trust each other for the time being. This way we can avoid getting exploited by others. How's that?"

  
She didn't speak at first. She was probably considering the benefits of my offer or something like that.  
Hey, I didn't like it either. But it was necessary to survive.  
"But how do I know you won't betray me?" she eventually muttered.  
"Well-" That was a rather difficult question. How do I make my worst enemy trust me? "Then, let's share a secret." I said, the embarrassment obvious in my voice. "I'll tell you my secret, and you tell me yours."  
"...fine."

  
Even though we had agreed, none of us would start. I was about to give up and go first, when she finally spoke.  
"I'm in love with Adrien."  
"That's not a secret. Give me a good reason to trust you, Chloé!" I uttered in annoyance.  
"Y- You first, then!"  
_Honestly..._  
I took a deep breath.  
It had to remain a secret no matter what... but I think in this situation it was okay.  
To protect everyone.  
I had to.  
"I... I'm..."  
For some reason, she suddenly seemed like she really wanted hear my secret.  
I got nervous.  
"You... You won't believe me."  
"What an outrageous excuse. I knew I couldn't trust you, just like you won't trust me."  
_You never gave me a reason to trust you to begin with!_  
"Fine!" I sighed in resignation. It was the best way to make her trust me, but could also go very wrong...  
"Well, truth is... I'm Ladybug."  
Chloé was speechless for a good fifteen seconds.  
"W- What a lame joke! You think I'd believe-"  
She paused, as if she was finally understanding many things- or perhaps she had run out of reasons not to believe me.  
"Uh- Prove it, then!"

  
I started describing situations when Ladybug had been alone with her, or just times when Marrinette wasn't present while Ladybug was. I even told her about the time Sabrina had been akumatized and Chat Noir and I visited her house to investigate.  
Eventually, I asked her if she'd ever seen me and Ladybug on the same place, at the same time. She didn't seem to be able to recall a time when that happened.  
She was slowly starting to believe it, but I already knew it wouldn't be so easy.

  
"I still won't believe this nonsense. If you are Ladybug, then why- uh..."  
"What?"  
"Why would you save me?! You hate me, don't you?! Makes no sense!"  
"That doesn't matter. As Ladybug, I have to protect every single one of the citizens."  
"Well then... if you transform right here, right now, I'll believe you. Do it right in front of my eyes."  
"Ah-"  
_But they... have been taken away from me..._  
"Go on. I'm waiting."  
"I can't."  
"I knew it."  
"One of the zombies has them. My earrings."  
"Earrings?"  
"That's right. They're my miraculous and I can't transform without them."  
"Is that so..."  
I nodded, not facing her anymore.  
She seemed to have averted her eyes as well.  
"...You... You really are Ladybug, aren't you..."  
I nodded once more.  
It was strange to see her serious side.  
To be honest, I never imagined she actually had one.  
In fact, she was acting unusually serious out of a sudden.  
It was a reaction I hadn't considered, so I didn't know what to say now.

  
"Alright. My turn..." she said.  
I stared back, surprised. "Huh?"  
"Truth is, I... have a crush on someone other than Adrien."  
I blinked. "Is this true? Who is it?"  
"N- No way I'm telling!"  
"The whole point of this is to tell me your secret! If you don't, there's really no meaning at all!"  
"I- It's just a minor crush! Not even important! Leave it alone, will you?!"  
"If it's so unimportant why bring it up in the first place?!"  
"Honestly, how can you be so annoying?! I'll go with another secret, alright?!"  
"Do what you want!"  
I watched her take a deep breath.  
"...I'm... I'm not..." she whispered something under her breath and her cheeks turned bright pink.  
"What was that? I didn't hear you."  
"....onde...." she repeated, this time even lower.  
"Uh, what?"  
"I'm not a natural blonde, alright?!" she yelled. "My hair is normally a lot darker! Are you happy now?!"  
"Eh~" I couldn't help but smirk in amusement. "Is that so?"  
"Cut it out! I trusted you so don't you dare go telling anyone or your secret will be exposed in no time, got it?"  
"Yeah, yeah..." I giggled. "Don't you worry... I won't tell anyone."

  
It was... fun.  
As if teasing a friend.  
How weird... to feel like this when I'm with _Chloé_ , of all people...  
So comfortable and peaceful.  
Seriously... it had to be a joke.  
Forgiveness doesn't come so easy, after all.  
I just didn't feel like being mad at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! :D  
> I believe it won't take too long to update, so if you liked it don't worry!
> 
> Comments motivate me! I would really appreciate it if you let me know your thoughts by leaving one for me. ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning at the mall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading my fanfiction. ^^
> 
> I feel like it's going kind of slow, I hope it doesn't get tiring.  
> I'll be sure to make it more interesting next chapter!
> 
> Please enjoy~

I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, the store was filled with light.  
Sunshine was entering through the openings of the stand that was still in front of the entrance, just as I had left it.

I looked at Chloé.  
A thin ray of light was resting on her face.  
She laying asleep on her stomach, with her knees bent and her feet on the air. The packages I had put together to make her a bed had been scattered everywhere around her, and she was now sleeping peacefully on the floor.  
Her clothes were crumpled with part of her back exposed, while her hair was really messy.  
There was some dried saliva around her mouth and on her chin.  
It was my first time seeing her appear so... unkempt.

She opened her eyes to find me staring at her, and quickly sat up.  
"W- What are you looking at?" she yelled as she fixed her shirt, embarrassed.  
"Ah- Um- Sorry. I'll, um... fetch some breakfast."  
Her face lit up. She was probably as hungry as I was. "Like what?"  
"We need to leave the mall today, so we might as well grab something from another store around here while we're on it."  
"Got it. I want a tofu burger."  
"A... tofu burger?"  
_Don't sound sarcastic. Keep calm._  
"If we were to find this kind of thing anywhere, it would be from yesterday. Would you eat it?"  
"Leftovers from strangers? Ew, no way."  
"Then let's go with something that doesn't need cooking or is already prepared. I think they sell waffles in packages."  
"Waffles? Those are... okay, I guess..."  
"Good."  
She looked kind of disappointed, but somehow agreed without another word.

"Shall we get going, then?" I pointed to the exit with my hand.  
"You mean... like that?"  
"Like what?"  
Chloé stood up from the floor. "J- Just look at me! My hair- I, I don't even have a brush! What about my face? I need to wash it! And my clothes, I can't go with the same shirt two days in a row! What if anyone saw me?!"  
"Chloé..."  
"Hey, you don't look any better either, you know!"  
"No one's going to care about what you're wearing at a time like this, Chloé..."  
_They wouldn't care either way, but this time it's a special occasion._  
 _Better not start with telling her that, though._  
"Marinette, that's important to me! I can't handle being seen looking like... you or something..."  
"What was that?"  
"Nevermind."  
I sighed. "We'll get you a brush from the supermarket, okay? You can wash your face in the bathroom. But that's about it for now."  
"Ugh, fine. I guess."

I had promised to put up with her. And even though Chloé is not the kind of person to try too much to achieve something, she seemed to be somehow trying to put up with me, too.  
I had to do my best. For everyone's sake.  
After all, Chloé knew my most important secret. It was now that I needed to get along with her, no matter what.  
But I guess she wouldn't want anyone to learn about her not being a natural blonde, so I was probably fine for now.

We exited the mini market.  
I looked around cautiously; it was quiet and no living creatures on sight.  
We passed from the nearest supermarket. I grabbed breakfast and two bottles of water, then fit them into the largest backpack I could find. Meanwhile, Chloé fixed her hair and washed her face.

"Are you ready to go?"  
"Say, Marinette... Why do you think Sabrina is not here yet?"  
Her voice was low and she wouldn't raise her head to look at me. She was staring at the floor instead.  
"So you're actually waiting for her?"  
"W- What do you mean by that?"  
_Shoot. I didn't mean to say it like that._  
"Uh- Well- Maybe she just doesn't know where to look. Perhaps she's waiting for you at her place..."  
"Sabrina's house is small- no, tiny. There's no way she would be safe there."  
_I'm not sure what Chloé's idea of a tiny house is, but it must be small._  
 _Now that I think about it, I don't really know anything about Sabrina._  
 _I wonder how she and Chloé met._  
 _Well, it's not like I'm dying to know or anything._  
 _Just curious._  
"Then... at your place?" I tried to sound certain.  
"Ah- Perhaps she is..."  
I smiled. "See? I'm sure she's fine."

_Wow. She... She really is worried about her, isn't she? Have I ever seen her worry about anyone before?_   
_Well, I guess she does care about Adrien. Can't deny that._   
_Still... isn't it strange for her to be so attached to someone in the first place?_   
_So why does she love Adrien so much?_   
_They were childhood friends, or so I have heard._   
_Did... Did something happen between them back when they were kids?_

"Okay. I'm ready so let's go already." She clenched her fists in determination.  
"Uh- Yeah, okay. Let's."  
Chloé grabbed my hand and started walking towards the exit.  
I was really surprised to find her doing something so familiar, but I didn't resist in fear of offending her.  
I noticed she wouldn't look at me, only straight ahead. She even looked somewhat embarrassed.  
_W- What's all of this about..._  
 _It's strange._  
 _Her hand is so warm._  
 _I wonder if she's feeling touch starved or something, now that Adrien's not with her._  
 _She did hug him pretty often, after all._

"S- Say, Chloé..."  
"Hm? What is it?"  
_I did break the awkward silence, but what now?!_  
"H- How do you think we should try finding the zombie that has my earrings..?"  
"Huh? How should I know? Do you remember their face?"  
"Kind of... But we still can't go looking for them around the whole city. It would be dangerous, not to mention it would take a lot of time, which we don't have right now..."  
"Well, then isn't our current plan just fine? If there's many of us, it'll be easier."  
"That's true... but to split and search would just go against the original plan. All of us could end up getting infected and there would be nobody left."  
"Hm..." Chloé paused for a moment. "Say, Marinette, what exactly does this Hawk Moth want?"  
"Our... Our miraculouses, I guess? Chat Noir's and mine."  
"For what?"  
"Who... Who knows?"  
"But do you think he would wish for everyone on the planet to turn into zombies?"  
"...What?"  
"I mean... don't you think he would just free everyone from this... akuma spell or whatever after he gets what he wants? Then perhaps to let him do as he pleases would be for the best, right?"  
"But then- Are you saying we've... already lost..?"  
"I'll admit, it sounds very disappointing when you put it that way."

 _Have we, really?_  
 _Hearing it from someone's mouth, it does sound pretty hopeless after all._  
Memories from the days Chat Noir and I fought akumas side by side crossed my mind.  
Was all of it for nothing?  
Were we fighting all this time just to fail?  
That just... couldn't be.

"I still... want to try. I can't trust Hawk Moth to free everyone once he gets what he wants. I won't trust him, someone who is willing to hurt others to fulfill his own selfish desires."  
_I know nothing about his desires, and yet I still say this..._  
"Well- How can we be sure that Hawk Moth is a human like us? He could be a god, for all we know."  
"No, there's no way that's the case. He's a miraculous holder, like me and Chat Noir. Master Fu said-"  
I paused, my mouth wide open. _Master Fu, but of course!_  
"We, we have to find him!"  
"Eh... Who?"  
"Master Fu! We have to find Master Fu! Perhaps he... he will know what to do! I'm sure he's fine. I trust in his wisdom and power, he may even have a plan already!"  
"Uhh... who is it again?"  
"He's the person who gave me my miraculous."  
"I see. Then... should we start with looking for him?"  
"It's our priority, but let's look for others on the way."

Chloé nodded, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.  
Then, still holding my hand, she began walking again, this time doing her best to walk right next to me and not drag me.  
_Ever since I told her that I'm Ladybug she's been unusually agreeable. Is it because she's a fan?  
It's not like she was that cooperative whenever I asked her something as Ladybug anyway._

After a couple minutes of walking around, we found the window -the same we had used to enter- and we started climbing. I jumped across first to make sure the zombies that had chased us up there yesterday had left.  
Luckily, nobody was on the terrace. I helped Chloé jump across.  
And just like that, we left the mall behind.  
Now was the hard part.

At that moment I thought, if in the end we didn't make it and turned into zombies, or even if we got ourselves killed...  
The things we left behind at the mall would still be there, untouched, forgotten.  
Left by two girls who were there once upon a time.  
It somehow felt nostalgic, even though that's not exactly the word...

"Ma... Marinette..."  
Ever since we ended up together, Chloé's voice always accompanied my loneliness. She always interrupted my scary thoughts. At that time, I felt somewhat grateful.  
"What's up?" I asked.  
"You may want to see this." Chloé pointed down on the street.  
I peeked from the edge of the terrace.  
It wasn't a pleasant sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that! :D
> 
> The next chapter may come out later than planned because I'm kind of stressed with the exams and all.
> 
>  
> 
> All comments are deeply appreciated! ^^


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! How have you all been? :3
> 
> Aha, I thought it was about time we got some hugs in this fic (no, I just love hugs too much).
> 
> Please enjoy~

No matter where I looked, there were zombies everywhere.  
That was much worse than I had imagined. Even walking on the street would be hard, or rather impossible, but we couldn't just stay inside forever.  
Our time was running out.

I noticed that the door leading to the terrace was wide open, so I rushed and closed it until we could think of a plan.  
It wouldn't be hard for zombies to break in, and the door wasn't even locked.  
Whatever we did, we had to do it quick.  
"What do we do?" I asked.  
"You're Ladybug, you tell me!"  
"I- I don't have my powers!"  
"Are you saying you're nothing without them, then?"  
"Chloé, that's-!"  
- _that's a horrible thing to say!_  
"Well? Are you giving up?! The one who saved my life is faced with a hard situation and just gives up?! That's just disappointing, Marinette!"  
Was that... her idea of a motivational speech or something?  
It didn't exactly help, but I was grateful she tried.  
"I see... then I'll... I'll do my best... I guess..."  
_Am I... blushing? Why am I blushing?!_  
_Did... Did Chloé notice? Oh, God..._  
Chloé grinned brightly. "You'd better."

I walked back to the edge of the terrace and had another look at the situation.  
_Am I truly nothing without my powers?_  
_There has to be something I can do as 'Marinette'._  
_Something that the people who admire Ladybug can be proud of._  
_Something that Chat can be proud of._  
_Something that I can be proud of._  
_Talents... skills... I still have those._  
_I don't need my powers to prove myself._  
...  
_What is Marinette good at?_  
_Drawing. Designing clothes._  
_But that won't help us right now._  
_In the end, I'm... useless..._

"I wonder how these things can tell we're human to attack us?" Chloé leaned against the terrace railings, next to me.  
"What... What'd you say?"  
"Ah, no, I was just thinking out loud."  
_But that's a good question!_  
 _Do they recognize us from our healthy skin and fast moves?_  
 _It's a real cliché, but maybe... we could try disguising just like them?_  
 _Marinette can create convincing disguises from nothing, but..._  
 _Is this really a good idea, or just wishful thinking?_  
 _It's still dangerous..._  
I heard a knock on the terrace door. Someone was pushing from the other side.  
... _But this situation is even more dangerous!_

"M- Marmalade..." I muttered.  
"What? Marinette, are you feeling o-"  
"Quick, grab this!"  
I opened my backpack and threw a waffle package for her to catch. Chloé caught it awkwardly, almost dropping it.  
"Breakfast?! Right now?!"  
"There's marmalade strawberry in these, right? Spread it on your face and clothes. Quick!"  
"I... what?!"  
I grabbed both of her wrists. "You gotta make it look like the real thing, understand?!"  
Looking at me as if I'm crazy, Chloé nodded slowly without a word.  
I don't know if I scared her, but she really did as I said.  
We both finished getting our faces and hair messed up and red, then I told Chloé to start rolling on the floor with me, so that our clothes would get dirty.  
She didn't protest much, although her face turned completely red.

The terrace door opened wide with a loud bang right as we where on the ground.  
I shakily got up to my feet, then grabbed her shoulder and helped her up, not taking my eyes away from what came out of the door.  
_Is this... Miss Nadja Chamack?_  
It was her, but she looked... dead. Her skin was so pale, as white as snow, and her fingertips were bloody.  
Her eyes were hazy and unfocused, only looking up, yet somehow she could still spot us.  
I'd seen many zombies, but seeing someone I know so well like this...  
I felt horrible. If I failed, all these people would possibly remain this way forever. That would be no different than dying.  
I could feel the weight of every citizen's life on my shoulders.

Miss Chamack moved towards us, her walking getting faster and faster as she approached.  
I heard Chloé's scream, and next thing I knew, Miss Chamack was standing right before us. Taking a step back, I tripped, taking Chloé with me.  
Miss Nadja leaned and reached to grab Chloé. Not knowing what to do, I took one of the water bottles from my backpack and threw it at the zombie as hard as I could.  
The bottle opened and splashed all over us with ice cold water, causing Chloé to scream once more and grab me from my elbows, holding me close.

 _The... the disguises did nothing at all._  
_Is it our skin that makes them recognize us as humans, after all? That should be it..._  
_To run now would be hopeless. Once they spot you, zombies become too fast..._  
_And to run and go where? There's no place for us to hide..._  
...  
_So we're going to turn into zombies, just like this?_  
_All I can do at a time like this is to hope... that someone else will find my miraculous and save us._  
_But that's a silly thought, isn't it?_  
_There are no humans left. It's just us._  
_Even if there are, they are hiding. They will run out of supplies eventually, then go out to get more. Faced with this unexpected reality, they will get caught off-guard and turn into zombies._  
_Just like we did._  
_Ah, but I'm overthinking this. I won't be able to feel a thing in just a couple seconds anyway._  
_It's about time we......_

I closed my eyes. Without thinking, I hugged Chloé back.  
I felt her cold touch, the zombie's touch, then waited for something painful; a bite, perhaps, to infect me.  
But nothing happened.  
I was too scared to open my eyes at first.  
When I did, Miss Nadja was still standing there. Even though her eyes were unfocused, her head was pointing down at us.  
I squeezed Chloé harder in my embrace. It all felt so natural back then, as if holding Alya or Manon.  
After a few moments that passed in silence, the zombie slowly turned away.  
Holding my breath, I watched her move towards the same door from which she came in, making a few tired pauses every now and then.  
Then she simply walked back inside the building, leaving no trace she'd ever been there at all.

 _We're alive._  
 _We're alive._  
 _We're alive...._  
Chloé still refused to open her eyes. I shook her shoulder gently, calling out her name.  
"She's gone... Chloé, she's gone..."  
"What...? But..."  
_"But we're still here", is that it?_  
I stood up and offered her my hand, helping her get back on her feet.  
"I don't know why we weren't infected... but if we were to find out the reason..."  
... _then perhaps we could fight back, with or without my miraculous._

"I... I thought I was going to die, back there..." she muttered. "It feels... weird... to be alive... even though I've been alive my whole life, it... it suddenly feels weird.... Ma... Marinette..."  
Tears started running down her face. She placed her trembling hands on her cheeks, softly. "M- My... Is my mascara running...?"  
"It's not." I took her hands in mine and caressed them with my thumbs. "Calm down. It's over. We're safe."  
Her loud sobs echoed as she wrapped her arms around me.  
"Mari- Marineeette..!! I was scared, and... so scared... I don't like it... I want to see daddy and Sabrina and Adrien, I... I miss.... them.... Marinette...."  
Her voice got lower and soon the crying stopped.  
I hugged back.

 _She's a bit... smaller than me..._  
_She's so warm._  
_I..._  
_I want to protect her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehehehehehe~
> 
> Let the gals hug forever. They are so cute.  
> Chloé is shorter than Marinette, nothing can change my mind.
> 
>  
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts, I love reading your comments :D
> 
>  
> 
> \---
> 
> Update:
> 
> Sooo my iPad's Notes app broke and I currently don't have access to any of my very very precious documents (yup, my fan and original fiction).  
> I had already written more than half of the fourth chapter of this fic, but now I can't continue it or even view it.  
> If I see the app is not working in the next few days I'll probably have to start the next chapter over.  
> Sorry for the trouble and thank you for your patience!
> 
>  
> 
> \---
> 
> Another update!  
> My stuff is safe but I can't copy-paste anything so I'm struggling a bit since rewriting everything would take a while. I'll still get them back, though, so no worries! ^^  
> Thank you again for your understanding~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took so long to update this, I had some trouble with the app I wrote it on (and hopeless lack of inspiration).
> 
> This chapter is small compared to all the previous ones, but I still hope you can enjoy it.~
> 
> Thank you again for your patience.

_The disguises didn’t work, but there has to be something about us that other people don’t have. Maybe it had to do with this one specific zombie, so we shouldn’t risk it by throwing ourselves out there._  
 _Will Master Fu be on the building where we met the other time? Or will he have evacuated_ _too?_  
 _I did say I trust in his power, but there’s always the chance he was turned into a zombie,_ _or... or worse._  
...  
 _Chloé won’t speak..._  
 _I kinda want to... hold her hand... I want to squeeze it tightly, and..._  
 _Oh, Gosh, what am I thinking about?! And at a time like this!_  
 _We gotta get out of here fast._  
 _Why did that zombie not infect us? We have to know. That should be the only way out of this situation right now. I really hope it wasn’t on a whim..._

"How about trying to call someone?" Chloé spoke at last.  
"Ah, I didn’t really think about that, but... I'm actually scared that even if someone gets my call, the sound of the ringtone may get them in trouble. And I don’t know if zombies react to sound or not."  
 _Plus, I don't think anyone would get my call, but I can't tell her that..._  
"Ah. I guess that makes sense. Nevermind, then."

After that, it was completely silent for a while.  
Staring at the door, our one and only exit, I couldn't help but hold my breath, expecting for a zombie to burst in any moment.  
At the same time, I was trying to focus.

_Why did Miss Nadja let us go just like that?_  
 _Did something happen before she touched us? Could it be Chloé and I cannot be infected at_ _all? But then why didn’t she even try infecting us? She couldn’t know it, even if we actually were immune to it._  
I felt a drop of water slide on my cheek.  
That wasn’t a tear or sweat, it was...  
 _Water?_  
 _Oh, that’s right, we got soaked when I threw that bottle at her..._  
 _We were sweating a lot, too._  
 _The ground, the air, the water..._  
 _It was cold. So cold._  
 _That’s all I remember from that moment._  
 _Could... Could it be...._  
I grabbed the second bottle from my bag and examined it. Mere water. It was hardly any less cold than when I got it from the mall.  
 _This should do..._  
 _It’s reckless, way too reckless, but what other options do we have?_  
 _I’ve run out of ideas._  
But this time, I wanted to hear her opinion too.

"Say, Chloé."  
"Hm? What is it?" Chloé raised her head and looked me in the eye.  
Beautiful, deep, blue eyes.  
I shook my head to cast away those thoughts. She looked puzzled, but I chose to ignore it.  
"I... I think I know why Miss Nadja let us go."  
"Huh?! Why did she, then?!"  
"We... We were soaking wet. She touched us, progressed it, then turned around and left. Perhaps it was our temperature because of the cold water, or maybe just because we were wet. I don't know why water would be their weakness, but that's the only thing that comes to mind."  
"W- W-" Chloé took a moment to progress everything I said. "But that... could actually be, after all... I felt her touch too."

_Do zombies too, seek warmth? The warmth of others, to warm them up... Ah, what am I saying. This is no time to get emotional._   
_Zombies cannot feel, after all._   
_But that’s probably the saddest part..._

"That’s a big advantage for us, then! Isn’t it?!"  
"Well, it shouldn’t take long to get warmed up and dry again, so we can’t use this for long. Not to mention we only have one bottle left. But it should be enough to get out of here."  
Any more discussion was probably unnecessary.

After giving Chloé a warning nod, I splashed the water all over us.  
I gave her my hand, and she took it.  
I wasn’t thinking, at that moment. My body moved on its own as I grabbed the handle and opened that door. We were still alive.  
We thought we would die, just a couple minutes ago. But we were still there. Together.  
And we had found what we needed to continue going forward. With our rather controversial plan, which we had based all our hopes on. It was awful, and yet... such a peaceful moment.  
A moment I was grateful I got to live.  
After asking her if she was ready, I went ahead and began going forward, leading us down the dark stairs.

I squeezed her hand tightly as the first zombie approached us.  
They touched us and in a few seconds, they were gone.  
More came, and they all did the same.  
We started walking as fast as we could, without running.

"Do... Do you remember the location of the place?" Chloé worriedly looked back at the mob of zombies that was following after us. Once they touched us, they would fall behind and soon walk away, but it was always very chilling nonetheless.  
Glad that my calculations were right, I allowed a smile to appear on my face.  
"I'm pretty sure it's just around the corner of the building next to Central Park."  
"Cen- That's far, now isn't it?!"  
"Could be worse, right?"  
For some reason I felt like nothing could ruin my mood that moment.  
That discovery of ours... I couldn't help but feel proud, excited.  
My grin widened as I squeezed Chloé's hand and turned my gaze forward.  
...And that's when I saw them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More characters are to be added to this story soon, hopefully on the next chapter (I really shouldn't delay this any further)!
> 
>  
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling inspired and finished this chapter quickly! Please enjoy!~
> 
> It's time for some revelations. >:3

Chloé's hand trembled in mine.  
Right in front of us, barely two meters away, was... the akumatized person, I assumed.  
I hadn't really had the time to take a good look at them back when the massacre started.

It was early evening, and I was hanging out with Alya.  
Her phone rang.  
"I have to go, mum has work and wants me to look after the two little squirrels."  
"Ah, your sisters." I giggled. "Okay, see you later."  
I gave her a final hug and then watched her walk away, leaving me alone on the busy sidewalk.

A loud scream made me shiver, and I turned the other way to see what was going on.  
"An akuma! Everyone take shelter!" someone yelled.  
A huge crowd of people was running, crying, pushing.  
And I barely saw them, the akumatized person, when someone bumped into me and I fell face-first on the sidewalk, the other person landing on top of me.

"C- Chloé Bourgeois?!" I stared at her, rubbing my pained nose.  
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Chloé made a grimace, like my name left a bad taste in her mouth, and sat up on the ground. "Would you please watch it?"  
I got up and started brushing the dirt off my clothes, about to tell her off, when I was reminded of our situation.

People were still running around us, some pushing me out of their way, their shoulders brushing with mine. Without thinking, I grabbed Chloé and helped her stand.  
"We, we gotta run." I mumbled, unsure.  
I didn't know what the akuma could possibly be, but for people to react like this... it was probably very dangerous, and I had to find a safe place to leave Chloé so I could transform.  
"Duh, I don't need you to tell me that. I _was_ running."  
Still holding onto her, I started running with the mob, dragging her along. Chloé squeaked, but was light and easy to move.  
"Get your hands off me- Ugh-"  
Someone's elbow met Chloé's mouth, shutting her up. She looked like she was way too pissed to speak.

I looked around desperately, my eyes landing on a tall building where people were running for shelter.  
"Over there, let's go!"  
"Let go, Sabrina promised to meet me by that tree- wait-"  
I tightened my grip on her wrist. "Sabrina's probably found shelter already, stop being a reckless idiot and help me help you."  
Why was I taking her there, again? That question did cross my mind.  
But if something were to happen to her because I didn't protect her... now that would be pathetic, wouldn't it? I'm Ladybug, after all.  
 _I wonder if Alya's okay..._

We entered the building, still not knowing exactly what we were running from.  
The elevator was in use, and dozens of people were outside of it, pushing each other and yelling. I went for the stairs, that were extremely crowded, but could still somehow be used if you pushed. Chloé was forced to follow behind me, as I was still holding onto her tight.

The building was an ordinary apartment complex.  
As we kept going on higher floors, the number of people seemed to decrease on each floor. Some of the owners of the apartments would occasionally open their door cautiously and let people in.

Eventually, we reached an empty floor, and I told Chloé to wait there.  
"Where are you going?! You can't leave me here alone, what if I get attacked by... whatever it is that's down there!"  
"I... I'll call Ladybug. I have her, her number." was all I managed to say.  
"Well, do it here!"  
"She w- She won't hear what I'm saying if there's noise."  
She crossed her arms. "Well, it's not like I wanted to be with you anyway. Just leave, go wherever."  
I awkwardly nodded, feeling kind of guilty. For whatever reason.  
Chloé placed her hands on her hips and watched me go up the stairs to the next floor.

Guessing my next words, Tikki emerged from the pocket of my shirt and prepared to transform me into the Paris' protector.  
"Tikki, transfor- E- Eeek!"  
Someone grabbed me from behind.  
Their body was cold as ice, and I was both surprised and scared.  
 _A- A zombie?!_  
The zombie painfully removed my earrings, and my left piercing started bleeding.  
It was right when I managed to break free that I heard Tikki's helpless cry.  
"Marinette-!!"  
And then she was nowhere to be seen.

Chloé came running up the stairs, followed by three zombies.  
More and more of them appeared behind them, soon filling the floor.  
I grabbed Chloé's wrist and once again started running, barely managing to slip and escape to the next floor.

The stairs were noticeably smaller for the next one, and I could guess they would lead us to the terrace.  
"What should we do?" I thought out loud, not really expecting a reply. "The doors are locked too..."  
I felt a touch on my shoulder, but that hand was warm.  
Nothing like the zombie's touch.  
"They a- a- are right behind us." Chloé whispered.  
 _No time to think... we have to keep going._

And that's how we ended up on that terrace.  
The zombies followed after us soon after, but we had already thought of a (rather controversial, but luckily successful) plan, and jumped on the mall's window.  
That's how we ended up together on this adventure, Chloé and I.  
And now it would all end, if we didn't think of something immediately.  
The person that had caused all this was standing right in front of us.

They looked like a dead person, a living corpse.  
It was a woman, and appeared to be around our age, although it was hard to tell with how battered and bruised both her face and body were.  
Her skin was snow white, with purple lips and unfocused, blurred eyes.  
Her whole body trembled, as if she was in pain. But she didn't seem to pay it any mind nonetheless.  
For someone who was supposed to be "dead", she looked very alive and human. As if pain and emotion had been carved deep into her very soul.

Extending her bruised hand towards us as if seeking psychical contact, she spoke.  
"I'm surprised...." She hugged herself as if she was cold, and trembled harder. "How are you still alive?"

I clenched my fist and took one step forward. "We know your weakness. And we'll defeat you together with Ladybug."  
I could feel Chloé's eyes on me. She was probably wondering what the hell I was doing.  
But I couldn't help but want to know more about the person who had been turned into... that.  
Was she in pain?  
Was it pure pain that turned her into this?  
I just wanted... to see her reaction.

"Is that so?", the akuma responded in a low voice. "Good luck then."  
"W- What?" Chloé took a step back cautiously.  
We didn't have much time left, and zombies kept walking over and touching us. It was a matter of time until we were dry enough for them to recognize us as human and the only warning we'd get would be some kind of bite.

"Since you've made it so far", the akuma continued, "I just might let you go. You'll get turned sooner or later either way...." She tilted her head to the side, lowering her hand. "We all die someday after all, don't we? I'll just speed things up so you can all... know her pain... and mine, too..."  
She turned away, about to leave. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand.

"What's your name?", I asked.  
She seemed surprised for a moment. "Doesn't matter what I was called. I'm Décédée."  
And with that, she was gone. Lost into the crowd of people who looked just like her.  
The way she walked was slow; she limped slightly.  
I was lost deep in thought as I watched her go, until Chloé pulled my hand and brought me back to the present.

_I... I knew that voice..._   
_Could it actually be her?_   
_I've never seen someone get akumatized twice... I just assumed it's not possible, but..._   
_That was definitely Juleka's voice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Décédée, as you've probably already guessed, is the word for a (female) dead/deceased person in french. The Akuma here says both that her villain name is 'Décédée' and that she is 'deceased'.
> 
>  
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts on the comments!~


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